1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flat panel displays, and particularly to a flat panel display with control buttons positioned at a side thereof and a method of adjusting a display screen of the flat panel display.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays have the following drawbacks: large volume, high operating voltage, high electricity consumption, and high radiation. Hence modem display units being developed are characterized by small volume, low voltage, low electricity consumption, and low radiation. Flat panel displays are among the most popular of such modern display units. The variety of flat panel displays now existing include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electronic luminescent displays, light-emitting diode displays, plasma displays and vacuum fluorescent displays. In recent years, LCDs have become increasingly widespread in various fields. For example, liquid crystal front projectors (front-projection type) and liquid crystal rear projectors (rear-projection type) are used for public presentations. Such projectors can clearly project enlarged images of personal computer screens when such screens are LCDs (direct-view type). Such LCDs have become well established as the most popular kind of display units apart from CRT displays.
A typical display unit has an array of function buttons for adjusting various display characteristics of a display screen of the display unit. Such characteristics include size, position, brightness, contrast, and time clock. The buttons are controlled by an integrated circuit (IC). The buttons of a conventional flat panel display are positioned on a front bezel of a frame of the flat panel display, below a display screen of the flat panel display. Each button is accompanied by a distinguishing symbol that indicates the function of the button. In a conventional display unit, each display characteristic is controlled by a separate button having a corresponding symbol. When numerous display characteristics are adjustable, manufacturing of the display unit is complicated by the numerous buttons, and the size of the display unit is unduly large.
FIG. 5 shows one kind of conventional display unit. A power button 21 and a plurality of adjusting buttons 22 are positioned on a front bezel 20 of a frame of the display unit, below a display screen of the display unit. Symbols (not labeled) indicating the functions of the adjusting buttons 22 are printed above the adjusting buttons 22. When one of the adjusting buttons 22 is pressed, a main menu of xe2x80x9con screen displayxe2x80x9d (OSD) software appears on the display screen automatically. Guided by the main menu, a user can press the adjusting buttons 22 to adjust various display characteristics of the display screen. Since the adjusting buttons 22 and the symbols are positioned on the front bezel 20 of the frame, the size of the display unit is unduly large.
Thus, it is desired to provide a flat panel display which overcomes the above-mentioned problems. A copending application with an unknown serial number filed Jun. 5, 2002, titled xe2x80x9cFLAT PANEL DISPLAY AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING A DISPLAY SCREEN THEREOFxe2x80x9d, with the same application and the same assignee as the invention, discloses one approach.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a light and thin flat panel display.
A another object of the present invention is to provide a flat panel display which is aesthetically pleasing and easily manufactured.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of adjusting display characteristics of a display screen of a flat panel display that fulfils the aforementioned objects.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a flat panel display and a method of adjusting display characteristics of a display screen of the flat panel display. The flat panel display comprises a power switch button and a plurality of control buttons. The power switch button and the control buttons are positioned on a side of the flat panel display. The flat panel display provides xe2x80x9cOn Screen Displayxe2x80x9d (OSD) software. When the OSD software is driven, symbols indicating the positions and function of the control buttons are displayed on the display screen of the flat panel display, so that a user can adjust the display characteristics of the display screen easily.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which: